On October 8th, the Cornell Review and Cornellians United for Free Speech are co-sponsoring an online webinar to discuss the draft report issued by the internal Presidential Task Force on Institutional Voice. The Institutional Voice Task Force was formed in response to requests for Cornell to adopt the University of Chicago’s Kalvin Report on institutional neutrality.
Three guests will discuss the proposal: David Bateman, Professor of Government; Ross Marchand of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), and Robert Platt ‘73 of Cornellians United for Free Speech.
The task force’s draft report recommends the University should show “institutional restraint,” stating that “it is not the place of the university or its leaders to speak about matters not germane to Cornell’s mission.”
Even when a topic did fall “squarely within the core mission of the university,” the task force maintained that Cornell was not required to comment. However, the report added that the University has the right to protect its interests.
Committee co-chairs Avery August and Jens Ohlin wrote in an email that the report will be discussed with University shared governance bodies in the coming weeks. They also welcomed comments and feedback through email (tfiv@cornell.edu) or through an anonymous feedback link, which will accept responses until Nov. 14.
Topic: Institutional Voice Task Force – Discussion of Draft Report
Time: Oct 15, 2025 04:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://cornell.zoom.us/j/94370941528?pwd=AL4hrLQAqYVp8aaKSDlSm8gXLj73oE.1
Meeting ID: 943 7094 1528
Passcode: 535439
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